Americans are having a shell of a hard time keeping up with soaring egg prices ... but Chef Andrew Zimmern has a solution -- look at foreign breakfast menus for some inspiration.

TMZ caught up with the four-time James Beard Award-winning chef and TV personality ... and he thinks a no-brainer way to save some dollars is to quit the "egg-laden" American breakfast and try out some swaps from cultures that don't necessarily use eggs as a staple of their diets.

Zimmern specifically applauds Japan and Italy for having filling breakfasts without eggs. The Asian country incorporates grilled fish, rice, pickles and soup into their morning meals ... while Italians reach for meat, cheese and toast, with some ricotta and jam.

Of course, the "Bizarre Foods" creator is all for the typical egg substitute -- he recommends the Just Egg brand -- though he acknowledges that plant-based alternatives can also be hard on the wallet.

He says he's not too hopeful egg prices will come down any time soon ... citing the highly infectious bird flu, supply and demand, and recent presidential executive orders impacting everything from who picks our food to who cooks it. He believes if people explore diets with fewer eggs, some pressure will be taken off the market.

For those who are still dizzied by the high cost of eggs ... Lisa Steele, a 5th generation chicken keeper and founder of Fresh Eggs Daily, tells TMZ ... eggs are still generally affordable when compared to the prices of other groceries.

She encourages people to look at how much can be done with a carton of eggs -- and reminds folks they don't need any fancy enhanced "designer eggs" -- in other words ... go for the basic box at the supermarket.